New IMAX film offers unique perspectives on holy city

Andrea Honaker / Staff Writer

Friday

Nov 1, 2013 at 12:01 AMNov 1, 2013 at 8:39 AM

Jerusalem is one of the most beloved and holy cities in the world. It is honored by 15 million Jews, 2.1 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims — half the earth’s population. Jerusalem’s population today is 800,000 people, and 3 million tourists visited last year.

Jerusalem is one of the most beloved and holy cities in the world. It is honored by 15 million Jews, 2.1 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims — half the earth’s population. Jerusalem’s population today is 800,000 people, and 3 million tourists visited last year.

So, what exactly is it that draws people from all over to Jerusalem? A new film provides a unique perspective on the sacred city’s past, present and future. “Jerusalem,” now playing at Discovery Place in Charlotte, is an IMAX film shown on a domed, larger-than-life screen. The movie is written and directed by Daniel Ferguson, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch and presented by National Geographic Entertainment. It follows three young women of three different faiths who live in the city: Farah Ammouri, a Muslim; Nadia Tadros, a Christian; and Revital Zacharie, a Jew. Also featured in the film is archaeologist Dr. Jodi Magness, a UNC Chapel Hill professor who holds a senior endowed chair in the Department of Religious Studies. Magness discusses Jerusalem’s history and the role of archeology in understanding the city’s past. During a recent phone interview, The Gazette talked to Magness about the film and her involvement in it.

Path to Jerusalem: The city has been a part of Magness’ life since she was a teen. At age 16, she moved to Jerusalem, where she finished high school and studied archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also earned a Ph.D. in classical archeology from the University of Pennsylvania. “I wanted to be an archeologist since I was 12 years old,” Magness said. “My interest right from the start was the classical world.” For the past 11 years, she has traveled back and forth between Israel and the United States, participating in excavations in Israel during the summer months and teaching at UNC the rest of the year. This summer, she directed her own excavation in Galilee, where her team uncovered mosaics decorating a Huqoq synagogue.

From archeologist to film star: Magness has been featured in documentaries for National Geographic, History Channel, PBS and BBC. The producers of “Jerusalem” contacted her three and a half years ago while looking for content consultants. She accompanied them to Jerusalem for their research, and the producers asked her to appear in the film.

“The people I worked with were wonderful. In that sense, it was fun. It was also a lot of work,” she said. “It was enlightening to me because I’ve worked on a number of TV documentaries in the past, but I’d never been involved in the making of a film like this.” Magness said her involvement in the actual filming only took three or four days. In the movie, she is seen leading a group of young people to the holy sites and explaining their significance. She played a much bigger role behind the scenes, reviewing scripts and film cuts, and providing accurate information. “Pretty much anything that has to do with archeology and the history of the city, I was involved it,” Magness said.

Finding the audience: Magness said the subject matter of “Jerusalem” is quite complex, and the filmmakers had to find a way to present it to the general public. They had to keep in mind that some viewers would be very familiar with Jerusalem while others would know nothing about it. “The concern was to make it historically and archeologically accurate, while making it understandable to the audience,” she said. They also wanted to ensure the film was not political, but neutral. “Every person who sees the film is coming to it with a different set of expectations and beliefs,” Magness said. “I think the ultimate goal is to show people how complex it is and also to show that there are all of these different peoples and religious groups that come from all different religious backgrounds that have an equal investment in the city. It really is a universal city.”

The three young women of different faiths were cast so that the film would appeal to a younger audience. The film shows them visiting holy cites, worshipping and interacting with their family. “What really sets Jerusalem apart is that element of religion and religions. The film did a good job of conveying that, and that really is the heart of the city,” Magness said.

Take a virtual tour of Jerusalem on your phone: You can now tour the Christian holy sites in Jerusalem from your iPhone or iPad. The travel app called “Bible Travels” features animated photo galleries, maps, historical information and bible quotes. Users can also follow the paths that Jesus walked in his final days. Locations that can be explored include Via Dolorosa Stations of the Cross, Mount Zion, Basilica of Agony, Church of Holy Sepulchre, the Last Supper room, Mount Olives and town of Ein Kerem. The app costs 99 cents and is available for download on iTunes.

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